Tube holding apparatus



Dec. 23, 1958 D. c. WATSON ET AL TUBE HOLDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Deo. 21, 1955 Donald C. Watson Harry E. Spears Inventors Samuel W. Booze, Jr.

Attorney Dec. 23, 1958 D. C. WATSON ET AL TUBE HOLDING APPARATUS 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec. 21, 1955 Donaldo. watson Harry E. Spears Inventors Samuel W. Booze, Jr.

Attorney Dec. 23, 1958 D. c. WATSON ET AL 2,865,540

TUBE HOLDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 21, 1955 5 sheets-'sheet 5 Donald C. Watson Harry E. Spears Inventors Samuel W. Booze, Jr.

BVM Attorney Dec. 23, 1958 l D. c. WATSON ETAL TUBE HOLDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 21, 1955 Inventors Attorney J n e,. O S Z O www Wnd.. C..W .GEW Iy mnm O00 v. D H S B Dec. 23, 1958 D. c. WATSON ET AL 2,855,640

TUBE HOLDING APPARATUS Filed Deo. 21, 1955 5 sheets-sheet 5 O O O Donald C. Watson Harry E. Spears Inventors Samuel W. Boaze,Jr.

runt: noLmNG APPARATUS Donald C. Watson, Roselle Park, Harry E. Spears, Fair Haven, and Samuel W. Boaze, Jr., Scotch Plains, N. J., assignors to Esso Research and Engineering Company, a corporation of Delaware Application December 21, 1955, Serial No. 554,489

7 Claims. (Cl. 279-2) This invention relates to expanding insert tools and more particularly relates to wrenches adapted to be used in sealing tubes in heat exchangers and the like.

The tubes in heat exchangers, condensers and the like are normally sealed into the head sections of such equipment by a metal rolling operation. When the initial roll- Iing operation is made, it is necessary to prevent the tube from rotating to effect a satisfactory seal. Current practice is to apply point pressure to the interior of the tube by inserting a steel bar into the opposite end of the tube and applying a lever action to hold the tube. Then the other end of the tube is rolled into the header or tube sheet. This holding procedure generally applies point pressures at the top or the bottom of the tube which easily causes tube damage due to the rela-tively soft and/ or thin metal of which they are made. Minor scars and/ or distortions caused by the inserted steel bar may accelerate corrosion and/or erosion and seriously aect the life of the tube.

According to the present invention, tubes can be held in a fixed positionwithout injuring the tubes during the metal rolling operation which expands the metal into the opening in the header or tube sheet. In one form of the invention a hollow rubber plunger or member is secured to a pneumatic power handle such as a pistol grip type having a two-way valve for control of the air pressure and the operation. This valve is designed to trap the gas in the plunger and then exhaust it through the handle. The plunger is inserted in the tube. The rubber plunger has an air passage and when the handle is operated, gas under pressure is introduced into the chamber into the plunger and the plunger expands and grips the inner wall of the tube restraining rotation so that the other end of the tube can be rolled into sealing connection with the header or tube sheet.

In another form of the present invention a mechanical arrangement is provided for the plunger. This form employs Van expanding Collette which is actuated by a tapered solid member or screw arrangement moved by air pressure.

The tool or wrench of the present invention is small and is easily handled by an operator. It is simple in construction and can be made small enough to be used on relatively small diameter tubes.

In the drawings:

Fig. l represents a longitudinal vertical cross section of one form of wrench embodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse cross section, as taken on the line 2*2 of Fig. l of the resilient, expandible hollow plunger;

Fig. 3 represents a phantom view of the wrench shown in Fig. l including a diagrammatic showing of the valve operating means;

Fig. 4 represents an enlarged and partially sectioned detail of the valve operating means;

Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal vertical cross'section States Patent() rice of another form of wrench using a mechanical arrange ment;

Fig. 6 represents a transverse vertical section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of a tube sheet and exchanger tube bundle with means for holding thewrench in fixed position.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character 10 designates the preferred form of wrench made accord-l ing to the present invention. The wrench includes a handle 12 such as a pistol grip type handle. The head 14 of the wrench is also provided with an opening 16 for gripping the wrench and using it. The shank or handle 12 has a longitudinal air passageway 18 extending therethrough from top to bottom or from one end to the other.` Attached to the bottom portion of passageway 18 is shown a part of an air hose leader 22 which is sealedor connected to the lower portion of handle 12 in air tight relation in any conventional manner. The hose leader 22 is selected to withstand a pressure of about 100 to 150 p. s. i. g. (pounds per square inch gage).

The head 14 of the wrench is provided with a passage- I way 24 communicating with the upper outlet end of passageway 18 and extending into twov way valve 26. The valve 26 is provided with an angular passageway 27 which as shown in Fig. 1 of the kdrawing connects the top outlet end of passageway 24 with horizontal passageway 28 communicating with the interior 29 of expandible resilient member 30 presently to be described in greater detail. The valve 26 has a second angular passageway 31 which is shown in Fig. l as not in active operating position. The head 14 has a vertical exhaust passageway 32 leading from valve 26 to the atmosphere. By turning the valve 26 clockwise until the passageway 31 connects vertical outlet line 32 with horizontal passageway 28, the valve is placed in position to release pressure from the interior 29 of resilient tubular member 30.

The valve 26 is shown as a cylinder provided with the passageways 27 and 31 as shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. These passageways are located near one end of the cylinder 26. At the other end, the cylinder is provided on its surface with a segment of gear teeth 33 meshingv with segmental gear 34 pivoted intermediate its ends to head 14 at 35. This portion of the head 14 is preferably hollow and the pivot 35 extends from one side of head 14 to the other. Pivot 35 has its ends supported in the head' to form an axis or axle for gear 34. The other or free end of gear 34 is pivotally connected at 36 to one end oflever 37. Parts 36, 37 andl 38 are arranged within hollow head 14. Lever 37 at its other end is pivotally connected tothe top or one end of the actuating leverk or trigger 39. As shown in Fig. 3, connecting lever or' rodv lower part of lever 39 extending below or from pivot 40 is receivablev ina slot 41 in handle 14. Arranged in a cut out portion 42 between the back of lever 39 and handle 14 is` a spring 43 held in position by nut 42.A

Springr 43 normally urges lever 39 into inactive or' inoperative position, that is. wherepassageway 27 inl valve 26 is'out of alinement with inlet passageway 24'and passageway 31 isin alinement with passageway 28 and theV interior 29 of expansible member 30.

' Dotted lines 43' and 43 are shown in Fig; 4 as indicating the extreme positions of main operating lever 39.` With the` lever 39 in position indicated by dotted line-43', the levergis presseddownY against1spring43 and` passageway 27 in valve 26 lines up with inlet passageway 24 and passageway 28 in head 14 to introduce gas under pressure into chamber 29 of expansible member 30. With the lever 39 'in the position shown in dotted line 43", the spring 43 has forced said lever 39 out and has actuated lever 37, segmental gear 34 and valve 26 by meshing gear teeth 33 to rotate valve 26 clockwise in Fig. 4 so that passageway 27 is out of line with its passageways just mentioned and passageway 31 lines up passageway 28 and exhaust port 32. The angle formed between lines 43 and 43" is substantially the same as the angle formed between dotted lines 43a and 43b in Fig.\4.

Turning valve 26 counter clockwise a small amount from the position shown in Fig. l results in shutting off the valve 26. The head 14 is provided with a conventional spring loaded safety valve 44 arranged in passageway` 46 which communicates with vertical passageway 24 in the head 14. The head 14 also has passageway 48 leading from safety valve 44 to the atmosphere. In the event that excessive pressure is supplied to the tool or wrench 10, or if the trigger 39 is pressed down with the tool outside of tube 82, the safety valve 44 will open and release the pressure through line 48 to avoid damage to the tool or wrench and/or the operator.

The front face of the head 14 has a circular cut away portion 58. The edges of the cut away portion are provided with screw threads as shown at 62 for receiving the screw threaded edge of the circular disc member'65. The circular base or disc member 65 is provided with a central elongated rigid tubular extension or nipple 66 which is of a much smaller diameter than the circular base portion 65. The tubular extension 66 is provided with an opening 68 which communicates with the passageway 28 in the head 14 and also with the air space or air chamber 29 within the rubber or resilient tube 30. As shown in Fig. 2 the resilient expansible tube 30 is substantially circular in cross section and the open end of the resilient tube 30 as'shown at the left hand of Fig. 1 in the drawing is slipped over the tubular extension or nipple 66 similar to a hose coupling. The resilient tube is held on the rigid tubular member 66 by a conventional clamp or any other suitable means 72. Preferably the clamp 72 is 'crimped into position.

In order to give the resilient expansible tube 30 additional strength, steel or metal reinforcing rods are supplied to the resilient expansible tube 30. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing the right hand end of the resilient expansible tube 36 has a closed end 74 and the resilient tube is shown as an elongated one. The steel rods or other coaxial metal reinforcing wires or rods 76 are shown as extending from the closed end 74 of the resilient tube through the length of the resilient tube. The left hand ends of the reinforcing metal rods as shown in Fig; 1 of the drawing are embedded in the face of the circular base member 65 above described. These metal reinforcing rods are shown as extending into the basemember 65 as at 78 and are preferably' secured thereto by welding, soldering or other means. These rods 76 also keep the tube 30 from elongating and cause it to expand circumferentially.

As shown in Fig. 1 the tube wrench is shown as positioned'in one end of a metal tube 82 which may be an exchanger tube or a condenser tube. Because of the compactness of the wrench it is quickly and easily applied' by one operator. These tubes are metallic and may have a size between about 1A inch and 2 inches 4and a wall thickness between about Vs inch and 3716 inch. The tube 82 is held in the header sheet partly shown at 84 and the purpose of the tube wrench is to hold the tube 82 from rotating when the other end of the tube (not shown in the drawing) is rolled into the header at the other end of the apparatus into which the tube is to be secured or held.

With the valve 26' in the head'14 in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing and with air under pressure sup-s plied from the hose 22 into line 18, air under pressure is introduced into the chamber 29 within the expansible resilient tube 30 and the tube 30 is expanded to the dotted position shown at 86 to frictionally engage the inner wall of metal tube 82 and in this way the tube 82 is held from rotation by the expanded resilient tube 30. The resilient tube 30 is preferably made of rubber or other rubberlike materials. The outer surface of the tube will have a tire tread finish for great unit area grip. The main body of rubber can be a rubber that has good elastic resilient qualities, a long life expectancy, a high fatigue characteristic and able to hold safely the better than air pressure in operation.

The metal of the tube 82 is relatively soft but the tube wall is not damaged by the rubber tube 30. The expanded tube 30 forms a cushioned surface to grip the inner wall of tube 82. With the expanded tube 30, uniform pressure is applied over an extended area of the inner wall of metal tube 82. The rubber surface of tube 30 provides excellent frictional engagement of the inside wall of metal tube 82 without injuring tube 82. Also it is to be noted that the expanded tube 30 grips or engages the inside wall of metal tube 82 a considerable 4distance in from the outer end of tube 82. The metal restraining this movement.

For example, in Fig. 7, there is shown one way of holding the tube wrench after the tube wrench has been applied to the interior of an exchanger tube and before the other end of the exchanger tube is rolled into the header sheet at the other end of the bundle. In Fig. 7 a tube sheet 92 is shown with a tube wrench 94 having a handle 96 which is similar to the handle 12 in Fig. l. A bar 98 is introduced into one of the openings in the tube sheet 92 and extends therefrom as shown in the drawing. A handle 96 is held against the bar 98 to prevent rotation of the tube wrench 94 while the opposite end of the tube is being rolled into sealing contact with the tube sheet or header sheet at the other end of the tube bundle.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawings there is shown another form of tube wrench which is pneumatically operated but which uses mechanical friction plates to hold the metal tube from rotation during rolling of the other end of the tube. In this form of the device a pistol type handle is provided having a hollow handle 102 and a hollow head 104. The handle 102 has attached thereto an air hose leader 106 for supplying air under pressure to the passageway 108 extending longitudinally of the handle 102. The head 104 is provided with a curved passageway 112 communicating with passageway 108 and leading into the cylinder 114.

The handle 102 is provided witha valve 116 in the lower portion of the longitudinal passageway 108 through the handle 102 for controlling the supply of air pressure to the cylinder 114. The valve 116 is held in closed position by spring 117. Rod 117 is attached to valve 116 and extends' beyond the valve housing to be actuate'dby lever 118. The handle 102 is also provided with a main operating lever or trigger 118 pivoted at 122 for operating the valve 11,6. When the lever 118 is moved inwardly into the slotted portion 124 of the handle 102, the valve 116 is pushed 'to the left against the action of spring 117 to permit introduction of air or gas under pressure into the passageway 108 and the passageway 112.

The head 104 is provided with a chamber 126 in which a piston 128 is adapted to reciprocate. Arranged between the back of the piston 128 and the bottom of the chamber 126 or the left hand end of the chamber 126 in Fig; 5 are located one or more spring members 132 which have one end'received in a depression 134 of the chamber Y126. The springs are strong enough to keep the piston 12,8 in the position shown in Fig. 5 so that it is about in the l fniddle of the chamber 126 and to the left of the air passageway 112 in the head 104 of the tool.

The upper end of the handle 104 is provided with a vertically extending exhaust port sho-wn diagrammatically at 140 and operated by valve 141. The valve 141 is held in closed position by the spring 142 surrounding rod 143 attached to valve 141 and extending from the valve housing. t its outer end rod 143 has operating handle 144. When the pressure is to be released from the cylinder 114, handle 144 is actuated and pulled to the left against the action of spring 142 to open the valve 141.

At its open or outer end the cylinder 114 is provided with threads 145 for receiving the ycircular disc member 146 which is threaded on its edge. The disc 146 is threaded into the threaded opening 145 to be flush with the outer edge of the head 104 as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The disc member 146 is provided with an opening 147 to slidably receive a shaft 148 which extends therethrough and which at its inner orone end is connected to the face of the piston 128 in the chamber 126. The opening 147 is provided with a suitable gland or stufting box to prevent leakage of the -gas under pressure from the cylinder 114 to the atmosphere. The other end of the shaft or rod 14S is connected to a tapered piston o-r cam member 152 which is in the form of a truncated vcone with its smaller end connected to the end of the shaft 14S and its larger end forming the end 154 of the reciprocable member made up of the piston 123, the shaft 14S and the tapered piston 152. The reciprocable member acts as a unit. The piston 152 will be further described hereinafter.

The stationary disc 146 is also provided with metal rods 156 which are secured at their one end to the disc 146 as shown at 15S. 1n the specific form of the invention there are four of these rods 156 provided and they are equally spaced around the at or circular disc 146. These rods 156 are rigid metal rods and extend horizontally or at right angles to the face of the disc 146.

At the other or outer end of each metal or steel rod 156 there is provided a floating friction plate 162 which is in the shape of a rectangle and which is provided on its outer surface with a rubber or rubber like layer 164 such as tire grade rubber to engage the inner wall of the tube 166 shown in Fig. 5. The end of the rod 156 is xedly attached to plates' 162 by fitting into opening 167 and soldered therein. These friction plates are elongated and relatively narrow as shown in Fig. 6. The inner face or surface of each of these friction plates is provided with a short beveled member 168 which has an inclined or cam surface 172 adapted to complement surface 174 and to cooperate with the tapered surface 174 of the tapered piston or truncated cone 152. The member 16S is securely attached to the friction plate 162. The inner face of cam member 168 is arcuate in a transverse direction as shown at 175 in Fig. 6 to fit on and complement the conical surface 174 of cam member 152.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 is in normal position when no air pressure is supplied to the cylinder 114.

The operation of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 will now be given. The metal tube 166 is introduced into the header sheet 176. The form of the wrench shown in Fig. 5 is inserted into the tube 166 and with the device as shown in Fig. 5 the lever or trigger 118 is depressed to open valve 116 and to introduce air into the passageways 103 and 112 and into the cylinder 114 to rnove the piston 128 to the left in Fig. 5 against the action of the springs 132. 1n doing this the shaft 148 and the tapered piston or earn member 152 are also moved to the left while the friction plates 162 are held in stationary position by the rods 156 and the disc 146. Movement of the tapered piston or cam member 152 to the left in Fig. 5 causes the conical surface of the tapered piston 152 to bear against and ride up on the arcuate cam surfaces 172 of the wedging or bevelled members 16S and y52 is about 13.275 square inches.

this causes-outward movement ofV theJfrictionplates-162 so that the rubber facing or resilient layer 164 on the outer surface of the friction plates is forcedA against vthe inner wall of the tube 166 and frictionally engages the inner wall of tube 1,66 a considerable distance in from the outer end of metal tube 166. This holds the tube 166 in position and by wedging the handle 102 against a bar placed in a hole in the tube sheet in the manner as shown in Fig. 7, the other end of the exchanger tube or condenser tube can be rolled into sealing contact withthe othertube sheet.

As above pointed out the tube Wrench in the present invention is especially adapted fortubes having an internal diameter between about 1/2 and 2 where the metal tubes have a wall thickness between about 1/s" and 3/16. In rolling the ends of these tubes into the tube sheetsror, headers it is a difficult job to hold the tube from rotating without damaging the metal wall. With the tube wrench of'the present invention it is possible to hold the tube without permitting it to rotate and without damaging the tube.

For example, with a metal tube having an internal diameter of 1 inch and a tube wall thickness of about 1/s inch the circular base or disc member 58 has a diameter about the same as the internal diameter of the tube 82. The resilient expansible tube 30 is made of tire tread grade rubber and has a length of about 6 inches and a wall thickness of about 3/8 inch. The resilient tube 30 has an unexpanded diameter of about 15/16 inch and the air chamber 29 is about 1A inch in diameter. The metal reinforcing metal rods 76 are about 5%. inches long and have a thickness of about Ms and are preferably made of cold drawn steel wire, or other metal. The reinforcing rods near the base member 53 are received by the openf ings 78 in the face of the base member and are secured thereto as by welding.

For different sized tubes, the tube 30 may be from 6 to l0 inches long and the rods may be about 5%. to 91/2 inches long.

When the resilient tube 30 is expanded as shown in the dotted line 86, the area of contact or gripping between the surface of tube 30 and the inner Wall of metal tube The beginning of the area of contact between expanded tube 30 and the inner wall-of metal tube 82 as indicated by referencecharacter in Fig. 1 is about 1.5 inches from the outer end of tube 82.

The tube wrench shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings for use in metal tubeshaving a diameter of about 2 inches will have a chamber 126 about 1.875 inches in diameter and 6.0 inches deep. The tube 166 has an internal diameter of about 0.997 inch and a wall thickness of about 0.125 inch. The shaft 148 has a diameter of about 0.375 inch and has a length of about 6.0 inches from the piston 128 to the smaller end of the tapered piston 152. The friction plates 162 are about 2.0 inches long and about 0.750 inch wide. The friction plates 162 are about 0.200 inch thick and the rubber layer or facing 164 is about 0.10 inch thick.

The cam members 163 have a length of about 0.80 inch and a width of about 0.625 inch. At the thinner end they are 'about 0.150 inch in height and at the thicker end they are about 0.350 inch in height. The face of the cam members 168 is curved as at 175 to t over cam face of cam member 152 which has a length of about 0.80 inch, a small diameter of about 0.475 inch and a large end diameter of about 0.575 inch.

The connecting rods 156 which connect the friction plates 162 with the stationary disc or closure member 146 are made of spring steel and are about 4.50 inches long and about 0.180 inch in diameter and these rods are of substantial rigidity to extend at right angles from the closure member 146 even while supporting the friction plates 162. The one end of the connecting rods 156 is securely attached to the closure member 146 by being welded into the` opening 158 into the closure member 146 and the other end of the connecting rods is secured to one of the friction plates 162. In expanded position the area of gripping contact between the layers 164 and the inner surface of metal tube 166 is about six square inches.

While specific dimensions have been given for the two forms of wrenches herein disclosed, it is to be understood that the size of the wrenches can be changed and different dimensions used. For example the rubber tube 30 can have a length between about 6.0 and 12.0 inches, a diameter between about 0.650 and 1.950 inches and a thickness between about .375 and .750 inch.

What is claimed is:

l. A tool of the character described including a head member provided with passageways for gas, valve means for selecting certain of said passageways for alinement for the passage of gas therethrough, an expansible tube gripping means provided with a resilient gripping surface and adapted to be inserted into a tube, said tube gripping means extending from said head member for insertion into a tube to be held stationary, and means associated with said valve means whereby said expansible tube gripping means is expanded to cause said resilient gripping surface to frictionally engage the inner wall of said tube.

2. An apparatus of the character described including a handle provided with a head, said handleand head being provided with passageways for conducting gas under pressure, a control valve for selecting certain of said passageways for alinement, an elongated expandible resilient tubular member closed at one end and open at the other end, means for attaching said open end to the said head, the interior of said tubular member being in communication with said passageways in said head whereby movement of the control valve provides for the introduction of gas under pressure into the expandible resilient tubular member for expansion thereof.

3. An apparatus of the character described including a handle member provided with a central passageway, a head member associated with said handle member and provided with passageways adapted to communicate with said central passageway, a valve for selecting certain of said passageways for alinement, the one side of said head member having secured thereto a circular disc member having an upstanding tubular extension communicatng with the passageways in said head member, an elongated resilient expansible tubular member closed at one end and open at its other end, said open end of said tubular member being secured to the tubular extension on said disc member, metal reinforcing means extending longitudinally in the wall of said elongated expansible and resilient tubular member, whereby when said tubular member is inserted into a metal tube and the control valve operated, gas under pressure is introduced into the interior of said tubular member and expands it to grip the interior wall of said metal tube.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said metal reinforcing means comprises elongated metal rods encased in the wall of said tubular member and each rod having one end terminating as a free endv in the closed end of said tubular member and having its other end tted into and fixedly held in openings in the face of said circular disc member.

5. An apparatus of the character described including a handle member provided with a central passageway, a head member associated with said handle member and provided with passageways adapted to communicate with said central passageway, a valve for selecting certain of said passageways for alinement, said head member being provided with a cylinder and a piston slidably mounted therein, spring means between one wall of said cylinder and one side of said piston to urge said piston into normal position spaced from the opposite wall of said cylinder and adjacent one of said passageways, the other wall of said cylinder being formed by a disc member provided with a central opening, a shaft rigidly secured to the other side of said piston and extending at right angles thereto and through said central opening in said disc member, said shaft at its free end being provided with an enlarged tapered or conical cam member, friction plates spaced outwardly from said disc member and secured thereto by stiff metal rods, said friction plates having their outer surfaces provided with resilient gripping means and their inner surfaces provided with cam plates adapted to cooperate with said conical cam mem ber whereby relative movement between said cam member and said friction plates causes said friction plates to move outwardly so that when the apparatus is positioned in a metal tube, said resilient gripping means on said friction plates will engage the inner wall of said metal tube and be held stationary.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said tubular member is made of rubber or rubber-like material.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said resilient gripping means comprises mbber or rubber-like material.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 41,545 Stimers Feb. 9, 1864 1,236,453 Lavoie Aug. 14, 1917 1,815,562 Godfriaux July 21, 1931 2,002,938 Dumser et al May 28, 1935 2,266,796 Parker Dec. 23, 1941 2,379,210 Alyea June 26, 1945 2,542,305 Brinen et al Feb. 20, 1951 2,736,286 Britton Feb. 28, 1956 

